Recently, Microsoft made a somewhat weird statement regarding default looks in some Windows 11 SKUs. During the Inspire 2021 event, the company revealed that it plans to ship commercial Windows 11 editions with dark mode and consumer SKUs with light mode by default. Microsoft said that it wants to give users' eyes "a rest" by using dark mode out-of-box.
That announcement led to the conclusion that the Software giant does not care about regular users' eyes. As it turned out, the information about default dark mode in Windows 11 commercial SKUs is wrong.
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Microsoft does not plan to ship different Windows 11 editions with different themes. All Windows 11 SKUs will use light mode by default, leaving the choice to users. OEMs, though, can override that setting and set a preferred option on their device. For example, a manufacturer might decide that it is better to ship a Windows 11 tablet with dark mode by default.
Here is an official statement from Microsoft regarding that controversial change:
We are aware that inaccurate information about Windows 11 shipping in dark mode on by default to all commercial SKUs was recently shared and apologize for the confusion.
To clarify, Microsoft will ship Windows 11 SKUs in light mode on by default. However, OEMs can choose to ship their devices in dark mode and customers will have the choice to easily customize their experience in Settings to dark mode or light mode.
While Microsoft says its statement during the Inspire event was "misunderstood," it is clear that the company decided to backtrack the new policy following not-so-compelling reactions from users. Whether that change was intentional or not, it is up to you to decide what mode to use in Windows 11. You can learn how to change the theme in Windows 11 in our dedicated guide.
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I really wish Microsoft would make up their mind once and for all. The more media-hype and publicity Windows 11 is getting online, the less likely thinking people (like me and no doubt others) are to pay any attention to it. Yawn…
What do you expect from a CEO who is nothing more than a figure-head for launch events? This is what happens when you pay hard-working women with karma and let the inmates run the asylum.